


Two Men, A Baby, And A Point Of Divergence

by Friedrickson2



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1980s, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, Canonical Character Death, Godric's Hollow, Hogwarts, Post-First War with Voldemort, Sirius Black Never Went to Azkaban, Well-Meaning Albus Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Friedrickson2/pseuds/Friedrickson2
Summary: What if Dumbledore had gone to Godric's Hollow that Halloween night? What would have changed? What would have remained? Takes place between October 1981 and March 1982.





	1. Halloween-Part 1

_31 October 1981-Godric's Hollow_

Sirius Black turned the key of his motorcycle, shutting off the engine, and stood up to look at the destroyed house in front of him.

His heart sank when he looked at it, and he feared the worst. He feared they were dead.

'I swear to God, I'm going to fucking murder that rat bastard if I ever see him again,' he thought angrily as he quickly pushed open the gate and ran up the pathway to the door, barely attached to its hinges.

Not bothering to knock, Sirius just let himself in. The inside of the house was no better than the outside. The ceiling was partially caving in, the radio was on the floor in pieces, the chairs and table looked more suitable for firewood than for their real purposes, and James's wand was on the bookshelf.

Sirius stopped himself when he saw the wand. He moved towards it. He picked it up.

"J-James?" he shouted. "Are you there?"

No reply came. Sirius hoped the anti-Apparition Charm over the cottage had been disabled and that they had gotten out alright.

"Lily?" he cried out, silently praying for an answer. No answer came.

Slowly, James's wand in his hand, he took out his other wand and moved towards Harry's bedroom.

It was in the hallway outside Harry's bedroom that Sirius's hopes began to be dashed.

"No," he moaned. "No, no, no…James! No."

James Potter, his best friend, father to Sirius's godson, was lying dead on the floor, his glasses askew and his skin pale.

Sirius could no longer suppress his fears, not when one of them had just been confirmed: James was gone, and never coming back.

Kneeling down, tears welling up in his eyes, Sirius hugged James's body and began to cry.

"James…James," he muttered.

* * *

So focused was he on James's body for those brief moments, it took him a few seconds longer than it usually would have for the scared cries of a baby nearby to register to him.

"H-Harry?" he said, letting go of James, straightening his glasses and quickly heading to his godson's bedroom.

Inside, there were splinters lying all across the floor from where, most likely, Voldemort had blasted the door open with his wand. Sirius kept looking around-the stuffed toys on the shelves were torn, a black cloak was lying on the floor near Lily's feet-

Lily. She was gone too. She was lying on the ground, her wand clutched in her hand. Sirius didn't dare try to picture what her final seconds were like, in case he broke down completely.

He turned to the crib, in which a one-year-old baby with black hair, green eyes and chubby cheeks lay, crying.

"Hey, Harry, hey," he said reassuringly, picking up his godson. Harry's crying, although it didn't stop, lessened.

"Ma," he whimpered.

"Oh, God," sighed Sirius, holding back the tears. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry. This is my fault…all of it."

He looked at Harry's face, eyes wet from the crying, and that was when he noticed the lightning-bolt scar on Harry's forehead. He didn't know what it meant fully, but he knew that it meant Harry had survived the wrath of the most evil Dark Lord of the century, and for now, that was enough for him.

* * *

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

The trinkets and devices in the Headmaster's Office began going off all at once, some of them shaking and others cracking and breaking in pieces. The portraits of past Headmasters on the wall, unable to do much about it, simply watched and waited for the current Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, to arrive.

Headmaster Dumbledore, a tall man with long white hair and a matching beard wearing a bright purple cloak and blue buckled boots with half-moon spectacles, rushed in a minute later, stopping once to catch his breath.

He looked around at the chaos that had formed in his office, and realised immediately what had happened, as the Fidelius Charm in Godric's Hollow was broken.

The Secret Keeper had betrayed the Potters and given their presence to Lord Voldemort. There was a very good chance that, unless Lily had made a breakthrough in decoding the old spells, all three of them were dead.

Dumbledore was of half a mind to go to Hagrid and ask him to check up, and if Lily's efforts had been successful, bring Harry to his closest relatives in Surrey. Knowing how strained the relationship between Lily and Petunia had been by the end made Dumbledore feel regretful for this decision, but the only way for Harry's protection to hold was for him to live with the family of the caster.

Just as he began moving down the steps out of his office, however, he stopped. Yes, he trusted Hagrid-he would always trust Hagrid, no matter his faults-but was this really something that Hagrid ought to be doing, considering his…nature? It would make more sense for he himself to go and check on the Potters if Voldemort had indeed gone there.

After all, everybody said he was the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared. Seeing as Voldemort rarely fought whenever he was around, coupled with the fact Dumbledore probably knew the Dark Lord better than anyone else, meant this opinion was very justified

That said, he could always bring Minerva with him-it would be wise to bring back-up to Godric's Hollow, in case Tom had done the same thing.

* * *

As Dumbledore exited his office to find Minerva, he found his thoughts shifting to the Potters' Secret Keeper-the one who had betrayed their trust to Voldemort.

Like many other people, he suspected that the Secret Keeper had been Sirius Black. He was James's best friend, his best man; the two were brothers in all but blood. Thus, it was obvious that James and Lily would choose him as their Secret Keeper. His heart sank at the thought of Sirius betraying his best friend.

Dumbledore was also aware that there was a spy in the Order working for Voldemort, a fact that he had been made aware of over a year ago, thanks to Severus. Having slowly worked on the information received from the turncoat Death Eater since that revelation, Dumbledore had only been able to narrow it down to four suspects: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Mundungus Fletcher.

Fletcher's inclusion, he found unsurprising-the thief was a known drinker, which made everyone in the Order nervous in case he was taken advantage of in his inebriated state. However, this risk had been lessened by keeping him away from the meetings discussing the most important details and by threatening him with Azkaban if he overspent on alcohol. That said, Fletcher was always tailed by either an Order member or a Hogwarts house-elf for security reasons.

The inclusion of Lupin disappointed him-he was a bright student, a Prefect, someone who had worked hard to ensure his lycanthropy did not define his identity. He was also a good man; Dumbledore was certain. But his 'furry little problem', as he christened it, meant he had real problems integrating into wizarding society, and Sirius Black himself had become concerned that he was spying on the Order, owing to Voldemort's swaying of most of Britain's werewolves.

Pettigrew's inclusion was a real surprise-he was not the brightest of the 'Marauders', nor was he the most magically talented or skilled member of the Order. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry, as like Lupin, Pettigrew had not been able to find stable employment since his graduation, and there were one or two times in which he had been late to Order meetings or absent from his mother's house for the weekend.

Sirius Black making it to the list of suspects, like the inclusion of Lupin, disappointed Dumbledore. He was well aware of Black's problems with his parents and cousins (bar Andromeda), and that he had run away the summer before his Sixth Year when they tried to force him to take the Dark Mark, subsequently living with James's family. Black also fought with real passion and zeal when engaged with Death Eaters, especially Bellatrix, and the way he had torn up the justifications for pureblood supremacy time and time again made it clear he was not of the same mind-set as his blood family.

Or was he? He had been acting suspiciously secretive since the Potters had gone into hiding, and it was likely that he had been pressured into turning double agent, and that his suspicions of Lupin were merely a way for him to cover his own tracks.

Arriving at the door of Minerva's office, Dumbledore stopped and emptied his mind, praying that James and Lily had been able to make their escape with Harry. At the very least, he prayed Harry was still alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea that I've had kicking around inside since last year, and so I've decided it's time to put this down for you guys to enjoy.


	2. Halloween-Part 2

_31 October 1981-Godric's Hollow_

As Sirius slowly walked through the hall to the door, baby Harry in his arms, he froze.

The tell-tale cracks of wizards Apparating into an area had just come from outside.

Sirius knew that if it were the Death Eaters, they would be looking for their Master and for Peter, and they would most likely try to kill both him and Harry. If it was the Order or the Ministry, he and Harry would be surrounded and they would try to force him to give Harry away.

'They all think I did it,' he remembered. 'Everyone thinks I was the Secret Keeper, not Peter. Everyone thinks I betrayed my friends, and my godson, to that sick bastard. The ruse worked, then. It seems it worked too well.'

Stepping closer to the doorway, patting Harry on his back to calm him down some more, he saw it was Dumbledore and McGonagall. Both of them had their wands out and appeared to be waiting for him to come out of the cottage.

"Sirius," called Dumbledore calmly, "could you please step outside? We know you're in there."

Sirius thought about his response, feeling unsure about what he should say.

"Don't send any spells at me," he replied, louder. "I'm holding Harry."

McGonagall gasped. He wondered if they were getting the wrong impression about everything, that the two of them were thinking he was negotiating his own escape in exchange for Harry.

"I will not do such a thing unless you provoke us," said Dumbledore, "but I cannot speak for Minerva."

From the doorway, Sirius could see McGonagall lowering her wand and taking in a deep breath. He edged closer. Harry's eyelids were now drooping, his crying having tired him out.

"Sirius, come on out with Harry, unharmed, and I will let you explain yourself," called out Dumbledore.

"Is that a guarantee?" Sirius cried back.

"Just get out here, Black, before Harry breathes in more smoke," barked McGonagall quickly.

Sirius looked back, noticing only now that a fire had now started and the inside of the cottage was filling up with smoke.

"Will do!" he answered, pushing the door back open with his leg and walking out slowly. Harry let out a big cough from the smoke, prompting him to walk faster from the cottage.

* * *

"They're-they're gone," he stammered, looking at his two former teachers. "James and Lily…he killed them both. How Harry survived, I don't know."

Dumbledore nodded, his gaze moving towards the scar on Harry's forehead. He knew now that Harry Potter's destiny was to destroy Voldemort for good, now that he had been marked by Voldemort as his equal.

McGonagall held a handkerchief to her eyes, wiping away the tears and sniffing.

"It's…It's all my fault," said Sirius sadly. "What's happened here. It's my fault, it's my fault they're dead, both of them."

"Damn right it is," muttered McGonagall, toning down the rising fury in her voice.

Sirius began to feel the tears well up again. "It was my idea…all of it…we had no idea he'd do it…"

McGonagall and Dumbledore looked at one another with suspicion.

"James and Lily…they wanted me to be Secret Keeper…'but that'd be too obvious,' I told them…"

"Sirius, are you implying that you were not the Secret Keeper?" asked Dumbledore.

Sirius looked at the Headmaster, successfully stopping himself from losing control. "No. I wasn't the Secret Keeper. I was never. Peter was. It was always Peter."

McGonagall gasped and put her hands to her mouth in shock. Peter Pettigrew, the small boy who always followed James and Sirius around, who was never considered special in his own right, had been the one to betray the Potters' whereabouts to You-Know-Who?

"Are you certain it was Pettigrew?" asked Dumbledore.

"I'll use Veritaserum, if you want anything clearer," replied Sirius. "And…he was here. V-Voldemort. It's just his cloak now. Don't know where his wand went."

For a brief moment, Dumbledore was lost in thought, but then he regained focus, glancing at his watch, and turned to McGonagall and Sirius.

* * *

"Sirius, Minerva and I are going to escort you and Harry to Hogwarts," he explained with some hurry. "The Ministry should be here in about 5 minutes. They will doubtlessly hold you responsible for this tragedy if you remain, and with Crouch running the DMLE, I doubt you'll even see a trial, even if I try an intervene. You come with us, and your name will be cleared much faster."

He turned more directly to Sirius. "Do you feel in a position to Apparate to Hogsmeade?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head. "Not with Harry, anyway," he replied. "Although I could use a Portkey."

Dumbledore smiled. "That can be arranged."

Picking up a pebble, muttering " _Portus_ ," and handing it to McGonagall, who placed her hand and Harry's onto the newly-created Portkey. Sirius soon did the same.

Almost immediately, the familiar uncomfortable sensation that came with the use of a Portkey took hold, and the three adults and baby soon found themselves in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts.

Sirius looked around. Dumbledore smiled sheepishly. Evidently, he needed to clean it up.

"I think I should take him to the Hospital Wing," said Sirius. "If that's alright with you."

"It is," replied Dumbledore. "Though Minerva can escort you there."

Nodding politely, the young wizard and the middle-aged witch went down the steps to the corridors, through the gargoyle-guarded entrance, and began making their way to the Hospital Wing.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore had soon cleaned up his office and moved to sit down behind his desk.

'Sirius Black was never the Potters' Secret Keeper,' he thought with sadness. 'Instead, it was Peter Pettigrew. It was clever of them to do that, actually. Unfortunately, it seems to have worked too well, seeing as Sirius will be needing to work very hard to clear his name and prove his innocence. However, it seems that now, I can say with some confidence that Pettigrew was also the spy in the Order for Voldemort. No doubt Severus will have mixed feelings from this revelation.'

Dumbledore's thoughts then turned to Harry. 'He survived. By God, he actually survived the Killing Curse. Lily must have done it. Yes, there is only the matter of the scar on his forehead, but the good thing is that he is still alive. But he has now been marked as Voldemort's equal, and if there is any chance that he is still alive, then it is all too likely he will try to regain strength to finish what he has started.'

* * *

The two trains of thought were then allowed to collide. 'Sirius is clearly wracked with guilt by not becoming Secret Keeper. He feels responsible for the deaths of James and Lily. But it is not his fault-a Secret Keeper can only divulge his or her secret willingly. It was Pettigrew's decision to betray his friends to Voldemort. That needs to be made clear.

'Then there is the fact that Sirius will not allow Harry to leave him. He is doubtlessly aware of the strain in the relationship between Lily and Petunia, and if I inform him of what needs to be done to keep Lily's protection strong in Harry, he will not be happy. And I do not think taking Harry by force from his godfather will be wise-especially at this point.'

He put a hand to his chin. "Perhaps something of a compromise can be worked out," he muttered. "Harry does not need to spend every single day with his aunt's family-since he will be coming here in a few years, that would greatly inconvenience his magical education. There is one idea I could try out, but I'm not entirely certain that that would work for, especially not if Sirius and Petunia disagree with it.

"In addition, I highly doubt that Lily and James told him about the prophecy, or anyone else for that matter. And seeing as Sirius looks like he wants answers and wants to know just why his friends and godson were targeted, then it would perhaps be for the best that he become aware of its existence as well."

At this moment, remembering the prophecy made by Sybil Trelawney, Dumbledore realised the Longbottoms were still at risk of a Death Eater attack.

He rose quickly from his seat and ran out of his office towards the Potions laboratory for Veritaserum. Sirius Black needed to be absolved of his alleged crimes, and he needed to tell Sirius everything that he knew.


	3. The Prophecy

_31 October 1981-Hogwarts Hospital Wing_

Sirius was slumped in a chair, twirling his wand in his left hand, watching as Madam Pomfrey checked over Harry. McGonagall was there too, keeping an eye on Sirius, partly to ensure he didn't go anywhere, and partly to ensure he didn't harm himself.

'What did the Dark Tosser have to make Wormtail defect?' thought Sirius. 'I…we thought he was our friend. Sure, he wasn't the most talented or intelligent of the Marauders, and he could be a little opportunistic, but we still cared for him. So just why in the world did he betray us? And more importantly, was he branded with the Dark Mark? Because if that's the case, there's probably no hope for him left.'

He shifted in his chair, and casually dropped his wand on the ground. His thoughts shifted too, this time to his godson.

'Why did Voldemort go after the Potters in the first place?' he wondered. 'Lily and James just told the three of us that they were in danger and needed to go into hiding. But they never really expanded on the reasons for why. I mean, yeah, they pissed off Voldemort a few times, but that's about it. They had money, yeah, but they weren't super-duper-able-to-buy-anything rich, and they've no fancy abilities, titles or ancestors to talk of. So why did he go to them?'

The doors opened and Dumbledore strode in urgently, his robes billowing behind him. This caught Sirius's attention, and so he shot up in alertness, while Madam Pomfrey tried to ignore the extra person in the room.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Sirius, I presume you would like to know just why tonight's tragedy has happened?" Dumbledore asked him.

Sirius only nodded.

Dumbledore sighed and turned to McGonagall. "Minerva, I would like you to go to the Longbottoms' residence immediately to check if they are still safe."

The Deputy Headmistress nodded once, got up from her seat and walked quickly out of the Hospital Wing to the edge of the grounds where she could then Apparate to the home of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

"Poppy," asked Dumbledore, "have you finished examining young Harry?"

"Almost," she replied, "though I would like the aid of our current Defence Professor, and perhaps our esteemed new Potions Master, before I wrap it up completely."

"Would you mind, therefore, if you went to find them and bring them here?" he asked again. "There is something I must discuss with Sirius, and the fewer people who know of it, the better."

Looking like she wanted to object, but not doing so, Madam Pomfrey walked out of the Hospital Wing, leaving Dumbledore alone with Sirius.

* * *

"What I am about to tell you, Sirius," began Dumbledore, as he relaxed himself into the chair previously occupied by McGonagall, "is something that, in hindsight, you ought to have been made aware when I informed Lily and James of this matter nearly two years ago."

"Are you telling me why they went into hiding, Headmaster?" asked Sirius.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I am.

"Around early August in 1979, I interviewed Sybil Trelawney at The Hog's Head for the position of Divination Professor. Having no real belief in the subject, I fully intended to discontinue it should I find no suitable candidates."

Sirius fought the urge to say that he should have done that anyway, thinking of his memories of boredom in that class. But then a thought struck him.

"Wait a minute, is this Trelawney related to the Seer, Cassandra Trelawney?" he asked.

"Yes, she's her great-great-granddaughter," replied Dumbledore with a reproaching look. "Anyway, for that reason, I felt it best to approach Miss Trelawney out of courtesy, even though I had heard from one or two people that she was at best inconsistent with her visions."

"I take it that upon actually meeting her, you thought her a massive fraud coasting on her ancestor's reputation?" asked Sirius again.

"Yes, actually, I did," confirmed Dumbledore. "I was about to end the interview, with my mind made up about the fate of Divination, when she went into something of a trance, and appeared to be making an actual, genuine prophecy."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I take it that when this trance ended, she had no recollection of the words she had just said."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, she did not, and still does not."

He then continued talking about the prophecy. "There was something of a commotion behind the door, which I learned shortly after the meeting was by Aberforth discovering someone was listening in on our conversation. In any event, the commotion rendered me unable to fully hear the entire prophecy until I saw it in my Pensieve."

"What makes you so sure what she said was genuine?" questioned Sirius.

"Because according to my Ministry contacts, a record of it exists in the Department of Mysteries," answered Dumbledore. "Only real prophecies are recorded there."

"I see," said Sirius, still wearing a look of scepticism.

"I can show it to you later," said Dumbledore.

"Sure. Can you recite it now, though, at the least?" Sirius requested.

* * *

"' _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches; born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies; and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal; but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not; and either must die at the hand of the other; for neither shall live while the other survives; the one with the power the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies._ ' That is it, Sirius."

"And so, despite your previously stated lack of belief in Divination, you hired her and accepted her prophecy as truth."

"I have reason to believe the one at the door was a newly-recruited Death Eater who did not hear the entire prophecy either," explained Dumbledore. "I hired her to protect her and to keep her alive-God knows what would have happened if I had let her go, vulnerable to a Death Eater attack. In addition, that same young Death Eater later approached me to work as a spy and informed me almost immediately that Voldemort, in spite of his own lack of faith in Divination, was taking the portion of the prophecy he had heard seriously."

Sirius gave a nod in understanding. "Your reasoning's sound, Dumbledore. Though I have to ask about that spy-how did you know you could trust him?"

"Legilimency," replied Dumbledore. "He had had some training in Occlumency, but it was largely self-taught with little testing, and easy for me to penetrate, and I have always been proud of my ability to tell real memories from false ones."

"So you knew he was really looking to defect," concluded Sirius.

Dumbledore nodded. "He also informed me that we had a mole-that Voldemort had a spy in the Order. With this information, I acted the best that I could. The prophecy referred to a boy born at the end of July, to parents who had defied and fought Voldemort in open battle three times."

"Harry was the child in the prophecy," realised Sirius.

"Yes and no," replied Dumbledore. "The alternative theory was Frank and Alice's child, young Neville Longbottom. For some time, I wondered if the Death Eaters would choose young Neville on the grounds that he is a pureblood. However, and this is information very few people are privy to-Voldemort himself is a half-blood, so there was an equal chance that he would go after Harry."

"What happened then? After we gained ourselves the Death Eater spy in the nest?"

"I informed the Longbottoms and the Potters and recommended they go into hiding. I suggested the idea of fleeing abroad to somewhere where Voldemort's influence and reputation was minimal, but none of them would have it. They all wanted to stay in Britain and be able to fight for the Order.

"The rest of this story, I think you already know," finished Dumbledore. "James and Lily hid using the Fidelius Charm, while Frank and Alice feigned living on their own while actually staying with Augusta."

"And then Peter told Voldemort where James and Lily were," Sirius added. "So, based off of what you've just told me, now that the Dark Wanker went after Harry, who now has that damned scar on his forehead, he's now the one the prophecy refers to, the one who'll bring him down for good?"

"Exactly. And if Voldemort has survived, then he will doubtlessly try to return to finish what he started, to prove to his followers that what happened was merely a fluke."

* * *

"And you're okay with letting this happen?" asked Sirius accusingly. "Because he doesn't have to do it on his own."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I didn't say that, and you're right. We can certainly make it easier, though, and try to weaken Voldemort and his army. Nothing's stopping anyone from making the journey easier for either of them."

"But 'neither can live while the other survives'-that basically says that one of them has to kill the other."

Dumbledore nodded with some sadness. "I'm afraid so. And Voldemort will be intent on that being the final outcome, no matter how much we help Harry."

Sirius sighed. "So the only option is…what? Train him like a child soldier for one thing only? Because I don't really see how that'll help his mental and emotional development."

"I am not advocating we do that, Sirius. What I am advocating is that we give him as normal a life as we can. Devote as much time as we can to uncovering his secrets and to undermining his power and influence."

"Thus ensuring that his followers are exposed and dealt with, and that he can never really return to power," smirked Sirius.

"Yes, indeed," agreed Dumbledore. "That is our goal."

"So, we're agreed on that front? We'll both work to ensure Harry does as little as possible?" asked Sirius.

"We are agreed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.


	4. Examination

_1 November 1981-Hogwarts Hospital Wing_

Sirius looked down at Harry, who was sleeping peacefully in the cot, unaware of the destiny fate had cruelly sent his way. Dumbledore had left the Hospital Wing to spend a few minutes in his office, leaving Sirius and his godson alone together.

He looked up at the clock. It had been barely ten minutes ago that he had learned just why James and Lily had been murdered and why Voldemort had attempted to kill Harry. He had mixed emotions about this information: it was nice to know why this tragedy had happened, so that he wouldn't have to question it alone forever, but at the same time, knowing that the Dark Wanker would not stop until he had killed Harry Potter, who he had marked as the one to ultimately defeat him, and that there was a chance the rest of the Death Eater scum knew this information and would try to finish what their Master started made him worry more.

'That is, if they're stupid,' he then thought. 'Knowing Voldemort, it seems he would much rather be the one to have the so-called 'honour' of killing my godson and probably eviscerate whoever decides to finish the job on his behalf. That is, if he ever comes back.'

The doors of the Hospital Wing opened, and Madam Pomfrey came in, followed by three wizards, one of whom Sirius was not expecting to see again.

"Hello, Black," 'greeted' the sardonic and contemptuous voice of Severus Snape as he curtly walked over to Harry, wand in hand.

Sirius was about to move to his old enemy and roughly ask him why he was at Hogwarts when he felt Madam Pomfrey grab him by the shoulder and give him a warning look.

Catching the message in her eyes, Sirius reluctantly backed away and watched as Snape and the other wizard (although not fully certain, Sirius wondered if Snape was Slughorn's successor as Potions Master, or just in the unfortunate position of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year) examined Harry for Dark Magic.

* * *

Shortly thereafter, Dumbledore strode in.

"I have informed the Ministry that you are in my custody and that you have denied being the Secret-Keeper for Lily and James, Sirius," he announced, "but I expect that Crouch will still want you to provide a statement under Veritaserum."

A sigh could be heard coming from Snape. "When would you like me to administer it, Headmaster"? he asked, not hiding his lack of interest or enthusiasm in the matter.

"In the morning," replied Dumbledore. "It's been a long night, and I imagine that some of us may need to rest for a while."

Sirius shook his head. "I'm not tired," he said sharply. That was a lie-the events of the past few hours had left him feeling drained.

"Nor am I," added Snape. "I am perfectly capable of carrying this examination out nonstop until dawn."

"That is not good for either your body or mind, Severus," admonished Madam Pomfrey.

"It hasn't stopped me before, and it won't stop me now," dismissed Snape as he continued examining the Dark Magic with the Defence Professor.

Sirius walked towards Dumbledore and whispered to the Headmaster, "Could you please, please,  _please_  explain to me what the Hell he's doing here?"

"Slughorn and I chose him to become the new Potions Master and Head of Slytherin," replied Dumbledore quietly. "I hope you won't be too hard on him while he's examining Harry."

"Too hard on him-what do you mean by that?" hissed Sirius, still keeping his voice down but somehow also raising it. If Snape could hear them, he was doing a very good job of sticking to his task, like an engraver carving on wood. "You've surely got to remember him as a student? Sneaking after us, hanging with those Death Eaters-in-making, calling Lily that foul word-among many other things!"

"I am very much aware of those events, but is it really so wrong to give a man who lost his way in life a second chance?" asked Dumbledore. "I gave you a second chance after the incident at the Shrieking Shack in Fifth Year."

Sirius could only splutter quietly, realising where Dumbledore was taking this conversation.

"If Severus had died that night, I would have expelled you without much hesitation," continued Dumbledore, coldness entering his voice. "Whatever his crimes were then, it was an unjustifiable move."

"And if he were to betray that trust?" asked Sirius, finally overcoming Dumbledore's earlier comment.

"I am not certain as to whether or not I would be merciful enough to grant one more chance for him, but I think he knows that well enough already, and should be acting accordingly. So please behave yourself around him-you have my word he will not harm Harry."

Sirius exhaled, looked at Dumbledore dead in the eye, and nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly.

* * *

He sat down near the door and held his head in his hands. He was not really sure which stage of grief he was currently at: he was hoping so much that this was all a bad dream, that he was having a vision of some sort, but he was paradoxically aware, deep down, that everything that had happened was real, that this was no nightmare.

'So either Denial or Acceptance, or some combination therein,' he thought cynically, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the now-cold sweat off his forehead.

It was now just after one o'clock in the morning. He felt his eyes blinking a lot faster, as he found himself trying desperately to stay awake and keep himself out of the realm of sleep.

Thankfully, a hand touching his shoulder provided the necessary adrenaline boost to keep him awake for another few minutes.

He looked up quickly. It was Dumbledore.

Silently acknowledging that their previous conversation was in the past, Sirius took a deep breath and asked "So what is it?"

"Worrying," answered the Headmaster. "Intriguing, but worrying nonetheless."

Sirius shot up out of the chair and marched over to the cot. "So, what the Hell is it?" he asked.

"There is an unusually powerful piece of Dark Magic centred on the forehead, within the vicinity of the scar," answered the Defence Professor formally.

"Put there by Voldemort?" asked Sirius, causing everyone else (except Dumbledore) to flinch.

"Possibly," replied Snape, "but seeing as he was at Godric's Hollow to kill your godson, then I highly doubt it was put there intentionally."

"You mean to say this was an accident," deduced Madam Pomfrey. "That whatever magic allowed Harry to survive caused a transferal of some of You-Know-Who's power to Harry."

Snape nodded. "It does not appear to be causing him much pain or discomfort, seeing as he is able to sleep peacefully, but I do not believe that we will know that for certain until he wakes up."

"In addition," added the Defence Professor, "it could also be seeping off his energy, like a parasite, but like Severus said, we will not know for certain until he is awake. Indeed, if we are unable to remove it, we may not know its full extent until he is of Hogwarts age."

Sirius glanced to Dumbledore. 'How come we didn't have any more Defence Professors like him?'

* * *

Dumbledore did not give an answer, instead choosing to ask the Professor "Is there anything else that the three of you have all theorised?"

"It is possible that this came from He-Who-Must-Know-Be-Named, when he attempted to kill the boy," answered Snape. "In that scenario, it seems that he may have unintentionally given him some of his powers."

"Good God," muttered Madam Pomfrey.

Sirius didn't know what to really think of this information, given his state of mind, but he did put in some effort. 'A piece of Voldemort inside Harry's head-attached to my godson? Merlin knows what the Dark Tosser could do with that piece of him if he were still alive and killing.'

"So it's harmless?" asked Dumbledore with something of a rhetorical tone.

"For now," answered Snape, "but as we've said before, it will take time before we know for certain what the effects are."

He took out his watch, noting the time was now quarter-past one. "It is late, and I need to grade papers and brew potions tomorrow. If it's alright with you then, Headmaster, I shall retire for the night."

"It is alright with me, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "You look like you need sleep, anyway."

With that, Snape walked out of the Hospital Wing, managing to avoid eye contact with Sirius as he did so.

"Is that all there is, then?" Dumbledore asked Madam Pomfrey.

"It seems so," she replied. "There's really nothing else we can do for now."

"Very well, then," said Dumbledore, sounding a little unhappy. "Professor, you are free to go to bed as well."

The Defence Professor gave a simple nod and exited the Hospital Wing as well.

Dumbledore turned to Sirius. "If you are alright with leaving Harry in Poppy's custody for the night, we shall continue this conversation in my office."

Sirius, though tired as heck, nodded. "I've never not trusted her, so why shouldn't I trust her with Harry? I'll be back for him in the morning, though, mark my words."

"They will be marked in due process," stated Madam Pomfrey dryly as Dumbledore led Sirius through the doors and into the hall on their way to the Headmaster's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think about 2/3 of this chapter was written in the past 3 days.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea that I've had kicking around inside since last year, and so I've decided it's time to put this down for you guys to enjoy.


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